Tasks 1–6

Extra Writing Tasks Journeys B1+ Teacher’s Resource Pack

Task 1
(City & Guilds B2 Writing Part 1)
Write an article for a magazine as requested in the notice below.

Win two theatre tickets every month for a whole year!

Simply write an article commenting on the following quotation and giving a specific example, and
we’ll enter you in our fantastic competition. We’ll even publish the winning entry in next month’s
Entertainment magazine.

‘Watching a play at the theatre should be more than just entertainment. It should be a
life-changing experience.’

Write between 100 and 150 words.

Task 2
(FCE Part 1)
Write your letter 120 – 180 words in an appropriate style.
You are planning to visit your penfriend, Donna, in Rome. Donna has written to you.
Read part of Donna’s letter below and the notes you have made. Then write a letter to Donna,
using all your notes.
Great idea!
Say which and why

It would be great if we could go to a concert or see a play while you're

here. Which would you prefer, music or the theatre? I need to know, so
that I can book the tickets. Also, as it's your first time in Rome, I'm sure Yes!
that there are some things you really want to see. Can you let me know Give details
what they are, so that I can work out an itinerary? As you can see, I'm
well organised!
By the way, when you arrive, my parents will be away, and we'll be in
charge of the cooking! Are you a vegetarian or a vegan by any chance, or
Explain do you eat meat? I need to have some idea what to shop for. Also, is
there any food you really don't like?
I can't wait to meet you. Please write soon. Tell
Donna
Donna

Write your letter. You must use grammatically correct sentences with accurate spelling and punctuation in a
style appropriate for the situation.
Do not write any postal addresses.

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 Journeys B1+ Teacher’s Resource Pack Extra Writing Tasks Tasks 1–6

Task 3
(FCE Part 1)
You recently went on a 4-week English course in the United Kingdom. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as good as
you had expected it to be. Look at the notes you have made on the advertisement for the course, and write
a letter, in an appropriate style, to the company that organised the course.

UK.E.F.L.
invites you to

IMPROVE YOUR ENGLISH AND ENJOY THE ENGLISH COUNTRYSIDE!

didn’t work
Wonderful heated accommodation in the English countryside near a very
pretty mediaeval village.
Lessons every day from 9 o'clock until 3 o'clock with a one-hour break
for a delicious home cooked lunch at 12 o'clock - the rest of the day and
awful! your weekends are free. one was
Spanish
Study English with two experienced native-speaker teachers and have the
chance to practise it every day in a real English environment!
Price of £500 includes: accommodation (2 people sharing), lessons and
there were lunch on weekdays.
4 of us For further details, call Mr Emerson on 0044 (0)280 3479232 or send
an email to ukefl@britbox.co.uk.

Write your letter (120 – 180 words) in an appropriate style.

Task 4
(FCE Part 2)
You read this announcement in a travel magazine and decide to respond.

We would like to receive short reports from our readers, describing

airports that you have visited. Be sure to include both the good and
bad points of the airport you describe.
The best reports will be published in future issues of Travel Today.

Write your report for the magazine in 120 – 180 words.

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 Tasks 1–6 Extra Writing Tasks Journeys B1+ Teacher’s Resource Pack

Task 5
(FCE Part 2)
You have seen this announcement on an international website.

MY FAVOURITE SCHOOL SUBJECT

Tell us what your favourite school subject is.
Tell us why you like it and what makes it important.

We will publish the most interesting articles next month.

Write your article in 120-180 words in an appropriate style.

Task 6
(PTE Level 3 Section 9 Writing)
Your teacher gives you the following statement and asks you to write an essay.

We all have to take responsibility for the problems of the environment;
we can’t expect the government or environmental organisations to
do everything.

Write an essay agreeing or disagreeing with this statement, giving reasons and examples.
Write your answer in 150-200 words.

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 Journeys B1+ Teacher’s Resource Pack Extra Writing Tasks Sample Compositions

Sample
Compositions
and
Writing Analysis Questions
for
Extra Writing Tasks

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 Sample Compositions Extra Writing Tasks Journeys B1+ Teacher’s Resource Pack
Task 1 Sample
A life-changing experience
The theatre is a very different medium from the cinema. For
one thing, actors know exactly what the audience is feeling
and how it is responding to them. Because of this interaction,
audiences may be deeply touched by what they see on stage.
Of course, not all plays are memorable or capable of
transforming the people in the audience. Many are
simply entertaining. Some performances, however, can
influence and inspire us, perhaps for the rest of our lives.
One such play was The Phantom of the Opera, which I saw
in London in 2009. Apart from the fact that the performance
was technically perfect in every way, and the singing was
exquisite, the message of the play has stayed with me: we
shouldn’t judge anyone by their appearance.
I believe that the theatre at its very best should be a life-
changing experience.
142 words
1 What is the purpose of each paragraph in the sample?
2 Explain in your own words why watching a play may
be a more stirring experience than watching a film.
3 What did the writer like about The Phantom of the
Opera, and how did it change her/him?
Task 2 Sample
Dear Donna,
Thanks for your letter. I’m really excited about meeting
you, too.
I think that going to a concert or a play is a great idea! As my
Italian isn’t very good, though, I’d probably enjoy a concert
more. Music is the international language, isn’t it? As for
sightseeing, of course I’d like to see the Colosseum where
gladiators fought in ancient times, and St Peter’s Basilica.
I’m looking forward to seeing the famous Tiber River, too.
I’m glad that we will be in charge of the cooking! I enjoy
cooking and I can prepare a traditional dish from my
country for you while I’m there. Actually, I don’t eat meat,
but I do eat eggs, cheese, etc, so I’m not vegan. Apart
from meat, there isn’t any food that I don’t like, but I
absolutely love spaghetti and pizza, which are both
Italian dishes, aren’t they? I should fit right in!
See you soon,
Pam
153 words
1 Give some examples of informal language used in
the letter.
2 Why doesn’t Pam really want to go to the theatre?
3 Why does Pam think that she will ‘fit right in’ in Rome?
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Task 3 Sample
Dear Mr Emerson,
I am writing to express my dissatisfaction with the
four-week English course that I recently attended.
To begin with, your advertisement claimed that the
accommodation was heated. However, the heating did
not work. My room was really cold and nobody came to
fix it all the time that I was there. Secondly, although the
lunch was included in the price, the food was so bad that
I had to buy food elsewhere every lunchtime, which was
an unexpected additional expense.
To make matters worse, your advertisement stated that
the classes would be taught by native speakers of English
but, in fact, one of the teachers was from Spain and
spoke with a Spanish accent. She also made grammatical
mistakes. Finally, the price in the advertisement was
based on two people sharing a room, but there were four
of us in a very small room.
I hope you will take my complaints into consideration.
I believe that I am entitled to a refund of at least half of
the £500 I paid. I look forward to hearing from you.
Yours sincerely,
Robert Bonnick
178 words
1 What register is the letter in?
2 Which words does the writer use to begin each point
of complaint?
3 What compensation does the writer ask for?
4 Which two complaints are mentioned in the third
paragraph?
5 How does the writer close the letter? Why?
Task 4 Sample
Newtown Airport
Introduction
At first glance, Newtown Airport isn’t very impressive.
It’s a small airport about 7 miles to the southeast of the
city centre.
Good points
The terminal building is quite old, but all of the interior
has recently been renovated with modern materials in
bright colours. Most travellers are pleasantly surprised
by the cheerful surroundings. Being a small airport,
Newtown has the advantage of rarely being very
crowded. As a result, visitors don’t have to contend with
hordes of other travellers, as they would in larger
 Journeys B1+ Teacher’s Resource Pack Extra Writing Tasks Sample Compositions
airports. On the whole, the facilities at the airport are
satisfactory, and the airport staff are polite and helpful.
Task 6 Sample
Bad points I agree that each one of us should play a role in trying to
solve the problems of the environment. Everyone in our
One serious problem that visitors face, however, is parking.
society has, in one way or another, either caused these
The car park is small and nearly always full. In addition,
problems or made them worse, so of course we are all
travellers have a long walk from the car park, which is
responsible.
especially inconvenient when carrying luggage. It is
preferable, therefore, to use the 24 hour bus service which It would be unfair and unrealistic to expect only members
is frequent and inexpensive. of the government or green organisations to come up
with solutions and carry them out as well. First of all,
Conclusion
without the support of the public, very few environmental
Travellers will find Newtown Airport enjoyable and efficient
plans can be successful. For that reason, we must all
as long as they avoid driving there in their own cars.
find out about local ecological issues, make others aware
172 words of them, and try to come up with some practical and
1 In what way is Newton Airport better for travellers effective solutions. If we all do something, and work with
than many larger airports? the government and environmental organisations, the
situation will definitely improve.
2 What adjectives does the writer use in his/her report?
Clearly, some of us are in a better position than others
3 What are the advantages of using the bus service?
to help. People who have a good understanding of the
natural environment are obviously better prepared to
Task 5 Sample think of ways to save the environment. However, each
one of us must do something to support these ideas
My favourite school subject is history. While I enjoy
and programmes, otherwise they cannot succeed.
learning about the history of my own country, what I
find really interesting is the history of other countries, Whether we help by donating our time, our money, or
especially ones which are very different to mine. I don’t both, we can each make a difference.
like learning names and dates by heart, but I find it 200 words
fascinating to read about the people and events that 1 Which phrase in the second paragraph introduces
changed the world in a good or bad way! an example that supports an opinion the writer
I have never left my country because my family doesn’t expresses?
have much money. That’s why, to me, learning about 2 Which phrase in the second paragraph acts as a link
the history of other parts of the world is like travelling. It between a reason explained by the writer and the
helps me understand different cultures. Studying history suggestions then made by the writer?
is also a good way of finding out what others think of my
3 What register is used in this piece of writing: informal
country and its people, and why.
or neutral? Why is it appropriate?
In my opinion, history is one of the most important
subjects because it teaches us a lot about human nature 4 Which word in the third paragraph means ‘but’?
and human behaviour. Also, if we carefully examine
historical events such as wars, we might be able to
learn from the mistakes people made in the past, and
hopefully avoid making them in the future.
179 words
1 Which part of the topic does each paragraph of the
sample focus on?
2 What register does the writer use: informal or
neutral? How do you know this?
3 Underline the phrase in the final paragraph which
indicates the beginning of the conclusion.

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